Thursday, July 30, 2009

The holiday season is only 5 months away (less than that if you're counting Thanksgiving as the beginning!).

Some people (like myself) like to get their Christmas cards out right after Thanksgiving...which means that if you want family photos for your cards, then you have 4 months to get them!

Considering that my current editing time is at least 3-4 weeks, this means you only have 3 months left in which to get new pictures taken by Avery James Photography!

And also considering that my October is very busy for me personally and there aren't a lot of dates to pick from...you could look at that then as there's only 2 months left in which to get pictures done!

AND THEN...considering that my August is BOOKED to the max (well just about - only about 4 more slots left)....then that actually only leaves you 1 month to get your pictures taken!!!!!

So now that I've broken it down like that...you still need time to pick out your outfits and/or go shopping for new ones, get the kid's hair cut, pick a location, clear the calendar, and talk the hubby into going............you don't have much time left now do you??

I suggest booking your shoot today so that you have first picks at the available dates. There aren't many, so choose wisely. :)

Please remember that my new rates are in effect as of September 1, 2009. You can see them here:

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

I love these headshots of Michael. He definitely has that model look (although I believe he's more interested in acting vs modeling) and looks great in pictures...killer smile. :) He's very good at changing his facial expressions and took direction excellently during the shoot. :) Below are all of my favorites from the session :)

Monday, July 27, 2009

I had the pleasure of photographing a fantastic family this evening for the second time. They have two of the most adorable kids. The little girl, like most little girls, is a tiny model with some sassy poses. And the little boy of the family has got the cutest smile that just fills his face and those gorgeous dark eyes to match. They even brought Grandma along for some family pictures which was so sweet. :)

Saturday, July 25, 2009

My first attempt at photographing a music group...and urban music group at that...didn't turn out half bad. There's always room for improvement, but I really like several of these photos.

Yung Threatz is a hip hop group (in my opinion, similar to Bone Thugs and Harmony style...but that's just my opinion)...you can hear their music on their myspace site and judge for yourself :)

Yung Threatz: www.myspace.com/bvygz

Many photographers have a style that is their own...something where you can see a photo and instantly know that's their work. Me? I don't really have one...yet? I'm not really sure I want to have a style that is so definitive of me...I think it's just part of my personality - my short attention span and my constant need for change. I like to constantly morph into something new....from a business aspect, I'd like to be marketable from every angle as well.

But there's obvious negatives to this also...a client doesn't always know what to expect from my photos, because they tend to merge into something a little different every time...sometimes I don't even know what the final result is going to be - I just go with what feels right at the moment based on the situation. When I'm doing my post editing I tend to do something a little different everytime then too....so I guess you could say I'm unpredictable? But maybe that can be fun for a client as well - if you like surprises. :)

Another negative is that while it's good for marketing to be able to adapt to whatever...it's also bad for marketing because my photography is not easily recognizable upon first glance....this makes branding of AJP difficult. But I think this is a negative that I'm not worried too much about. The word of mouth advertising is incredible and has done well for me. :)

Friday, July 24, 2009

It's been a long time since I've shot at this beach - and I forgot what a beautiful place it was! I'm going to have to do more shoots here. :) :)These two adorable kids and their beautiful parents only add to the great scenery. :)

And just a side note...I'm trying to experiment a little in my post-editing...I'm usually drawn to the high-contrast photo...where all of the lines are very definite and prominent...a lot of dark blacks to go with the lighter colors....but I'm trying to test out some less contrasted photos...more of a sunlit look...I've seen a lot of photographers do a similar style mixed in with their higher contrast images.

I still found myself adding more contrast even though I started off with none...something just kept looking off to me.....but I'd love feedback from my readers - how do the two pics of the young children look that are less contrasted?

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

I had an extra special shoot this afternoon...3 years ago when my son passed away, this extremely kind and caring woman reached out to me from across the country...from all the way in Massachusetts via the computer and myspace. Over time, because of her compassion and kind ways, her friendship became one that I very much treasured...a strange thing to feel for someone you've never physically met.

Summer and her family purchased a tree that they planted and dedicated to my son, Avery James, in an absolutely beautiful park near their home. On Avery's birthdays and anniversary dates, Summer would take her kids down to Avery's tree and release balloons in Avery's memory...or just go to let the kids play near his tree. She takes pictures and sends them to me, and I have to say that my heart feels so warm when I think of how kind she is for the things she does and the way she has supported me and my family.

After all of that...3 years later...Summer and her family decided to take a family vacation out to Southern California. They are staying down in Orange County, but they made the trek up to Hermosa Beach so that they could have their family pictures taken by me and so that our families could finally meet each other in person!!

It's so strange how two people can feel like they know each other without having ever really "known" each other (if that makes sense!)....but I felt instantly connected with her and it was just such a pleasure to finally meet her in person. I'm now looking forward to when my family can take a vacation and go to Massachusetts to see them again. :)

So after all of that...here's a couple of pictures from our shoot....that bright beach sun is tough to work with...but with such a lovely family it's hard to go wrong. :)